Catching the Butterfly
by Rachey Himura
Summary: [Warning: DoC Spoilers] He dreamt of his sins of a yesterday long past. Originally a oneshot [Yuffentine]
1. the weight of his sins

**Disclaimer:** Still hoping to win a couple million dollars so I can buy the rights to the games, till then… I'm just an avid fan.

**Authors Note:** I originally wrote this as a one-shot for _All the Things She Said_ - but I couldn't just leave it like that. This takes place after _Advent Children_ and the first chapter is _Pre-Dirge of Cerberus _though there will be chapters that are set during DoC and some scenes will be familiar. Please stick with me and enjoy.

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**Chapter One: The Weight of His Sins**

She was forced to sit there and watch as he cried out in sleep, turning and shifting helplessly on his side as he was caught in his nightmares. She had heard his cries, sounding so defenseless that it had shattered the cold hard demeanor she wished to have. She couldn't pretend to be emotionless like he or Cloud could. She couldn't pretend not to care, especially when he sounded so pathetically helpless. She couldn't just watch and listen. She couldn't just turn her head the other way and pretend not to see.

She took a deep breath, holding it as he used all her training in the ways of the ninja to silently make her way across the room in which he slept. Tears remained unshed by sheer force of will as she knew what it was that broke this proud man when he dreamt.

He dreamt of a yesterday that had passed a long time ago. He dreamt of the actions of the past that haunted him still. He was trapped in the sins of yesterday and until he could learn to forgive himself for those sins and move on he would remained such. Until he could accept the fact that he was still a human with a few simple modifications, he was helpless to these dreams and cursed to see himself as the monster that he had been forced to accept.

A whimper, with more emotion than even Yuffie could express in sound escaped from the dreaming man. A man that was usually so emotionless, usually so stoic that others doubted he even knew what human feelings were anymore. Yuffie cringed as she heard the sound, her heart breaking once more for the man who was stuck in his nightmare as a hand reached out to take his pale one gently in her hand in a vain attempt to comfort him.

"Vincent."

He didn't react, he didn't wake and she felt let down. She hated to see him so vulnerable in his sleep, it was breaking her as much as his nightmare had broke him and the tears of empathy forced their way down her cheeks. She didn't feel privileged to see him like this, to see him so lost, so uncharacteristically broken that it was pathetic. She felt horrible because she understood what it meant to love someone, to care for them more than anything in the world and to know those feelings will never be wholly returned.

And she hated herself, because she knew that this broken man didn't want her empathy, that he would only add the pain she felt to his list of sins. Every small thing he did wrong in his lifetime weighed far too heavily upon his shoulders as it was, his inhuman aspects made him feel like a demon. It wasn't her that had him this way.

She hated the woman of his past, the one he dreamt about even now. She was the one that had ended all debate as to his future, ended any possibility of him ever opening up enough to allow another woman in. He used all his Turk training to keep everyone at a certain distance. He didn't even crack open enough to allow a few people to slip in and call him a friend.

Yuffie had no doubt that he would indeed call all of them a friend, the ones he fought alongside, but he kept his distance. After Aeris had died he was the only one that hadn't cried out of their pathetic group. He was the only that remained emotionless and unfazed at first glance, though Yuffie knew others hadn't seen the change, she had noticed he had only become more distant to all of them. He grew more distant after they had fought off Sephiroth. It wasn't until the clones of the one-winged angel threatened the planets existence once again that Yuffie or anyone really had heard from him.

He tried to disappear as if he had never even come again, though Yuffie had followed him. Refusing to allow him to drop out of her life so easily… She knew her affections were placed all wrong, that in the end she was only hurting herself, but she just couldn't move on. She had to keep him in her life, because life without him didn't seem worth it. Even if all he'd ever be was a friend, she could live with that, as long as he was something to her. As long as she was something to him.

Or so she told herself, and even believed for a short time. The longer she stayed though, the more solemn her own moods became. She would cry late at night, knowing he was thinking of that woman. The one that was responsible for his nightmares. For his sins. For his self-hatred. And she'd grow more and more jealous that he allowed this woman to have such a hold on him. She was gone, dead and unable to return to the land of the living. It wasn't right of her to keep him in the past, it wasn't right for him to focus all his attention onto her. It wasn't fair to him. It wasn't fair to her. It just wasn't fair.

Sweat dripped down his brow and Yuffie gingerly wiped it away with her headband, which had removed for the task. The hair that it usually held back fell into her eyes though it didn't matter much anymore. Her vision was already obscured by tears.

He cried out, his claw moving lightning fast to grip the hand that wiped away the sweat. To remove the hand that offered has much comfort as it possibly could while he was broken. Five golden edges dug painfully into her skin, piercing her arm as she stifled her cry of shock and pain. It hurt, as his golden digits dug painfully into her skin but she didn't want him to know.

"Vincent." She forced her voice to remain calm, forced it to sound like she wasn't in pain. "Could you… let go?"

He did, but what happened next took her by surprise, his claw had moved from her arm to come slicing towards the sound of her voice, she had just enough time to pull back with a yelp of surprise, the sharp edges had just sliced at her shoulder, lightly scratching them and nagging at her shirt before returning to his side.

"Oh Vinnie…" She sighed as she once again took hold of his human hand, paying the violent actions that had just happened no mind as she took up pushing obsidian bangs free of his eyes.

"Don't cry…"

Without warning crimson eyes snapped open his human hand pulled itself free of her grasp and rested on her shoulder, pulling her down for a deep passionate kiss. One that tasted sweet and Yuffie knew she was already addicted to the feel of his lips on hers. She closed stormy eyes to enjoy the sweet embrace. Though as it was broken and his eyes remained closed she felt her hopes come crashing down with one word, one simple name that slipped from his lips, reminding her quite painfully that he wasn't hers. That he felt nothing for her or anyone who was alive. His heart, body and soul all belonged to a woman of his past.

"Lucrecia… don't… cry."

She fought back a whole new wave of tears as she stood from her spot and ran as fast as she could. No longer caring about being silent while she pushed the door to his room open and ran down the hallway, throwing herself upon her own bed and allowing the tirade of tears to come.

She didn't see those tortured crimson orbs that she both loved and hated open again, or hear the soft murmur of his voice, that came after her departure. "Yuffie…"

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_**Thanks for the reveiws!!  
**_


	2. why have you brought me here?

**Authors Note:** Sorry for the wait, I know it took a while. I had this chapter done a few times and then it was lost so I had to type it up all over again… I don't know, I think this was the best version of the chapter anyways. There is a small scene from Dirge of Cerberus used that was the inspiration. Can't promise when the next chapter will be, I'm a busy lady with school, work and co-op and my older sister is getting married – in Jamaica – in Feburary so I'm working like crazy to make the money to pay that off. For those of you reading _Bloody Illusions_ as well, I PROMISE a chapter soon. I just have to figure out how to end it. Damned writers block.

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**Chapter Two:** _Why Have You Brought Me Here?_

If she could hate him, she would. If she could forget – cut him out of her life so simply, as if he was never there, she would. It wasn't because she was insensitive; it was because it hurt to remember. It hurt to remember the feel of his lips on hers, when he was still in the grips of his nightmares. As long as he wasn't around, she was fine. She could pretend to have forgotten the pain; she could pretend that she hadn't been hurt by him. She could pretend as if nothing had ever happened.

Yuffie couldn't bring herself to hate Vincent either, because it wasn't his fault. He had been caught in his dreams and couldn't have been blamed for what it was he had thought he saw. He wasn't even in the wrong. He hadn't kissed her on purpose; he hadn't called her by that woman's name to hurt her. He had meant nothing by it. It was stupid how one meaningless kiss to him had meant the world to her – for a brief second. And then, in another, it had become her undoing.

So when ever there were group gatherings or things to be taken care of Yuffie was always absent, choosing instead to devote her free-time to the restoration of Midgar and Wutai. She always had a perfectly reasonable excuse, after all, the war with Sephiroth and Shinra was over, Shinra had been proven untrustworthy and the world was at an extreme low. There were many survivors whom had lost their home, families had been separated and Yuffie – along with others – had spent time reuniting parents with lost children, rebuilding homes, reorganizing more than just one town or city – or even government, but the entire world. Yuffie hadn't been the only one doing so; Reeve had even created an entire organization using his knowledge acquired through Shinra to successfully run the World Regenesis Organization, else wise known as the WRO. Even though Reeve had been a member of Shinra, people trusted him – because he had also been a member of that rogue group of terrorists that eventually saved the entire world – AVALANCHE. There was a certain pride that came with being a terrorist that saved the world, rather than searching to destroy it.

Yuffie had found out later, through calls on her new – and updated – PHS that her absences were always in vain. Vincent was also never around; very few members of AVALANCHE had contact with him anymore. He was like Cloud, with the PHS, he had it but the closest anyone got to actually talking to Vincent was his voice message. It was no wonder broody men got along so well but Yuffie could just imagine how lacking their conversations would be. Unless there was a life threatening embodiment of Sephiroth or something running around threatening to destroy the world… again. Most the time it was text messages anybody left him. Yuffie, even though she went out of her way to avoid him, would send him the occasional chipper sounding text to make sure he knew she hadn't forgotten about him. After all, she didn't want to draw attention to herself by ignoring her friend.

And then, after saving the world twice already… the third war began. Yuffie knew it involved Vincent. She knew very little of the specifics but she knew that Vincent was a key part in this fight. She couldn't just sit out though, the WRO was helping Vincent, Reeve had asked Vincent's help and she – working with the WRO – could not refuse. This fight was one that needed to happen and Yuffie and the other members of AVALANCHE were fast becoming the protectors of the innocent and the defenders of the world. They stood up and fought against all odds in order to save the world when no one else could. They defeated logic and won two times before and they would do it again. Against Deep Ground and Omega and anything else they had to throw their way.

She was lucky to have avoided Vincent in the fight for as long as she had. It was when Reeve had asked her to go to Shinra Mansion, in Nibelhiem that she would run into him again for the first time since the incident. She didn't even know she would until she happened to find him and that Deep Ground Soldier, whom she had fought a few times already, Rosso.

After searching the mansion, rather quickly and half heartedly as the place - honest to all gods, materia and summons there were – creeped her out! She hadn't found anything of any real importance in her quick scan of the upstairs and she was on her way out when she had heard the commotion in the front hall. When she had arrived, Vincent was on the ground, lying almost lifelessly and her heart stopped itself as she watched from her position, still unnoticed by Rosso. She had to watch, she couldn't move. Then he twitched, and again and she felt her breath escape and her heart start up again, though she was still worried. Rosso had a strange materia in her hand that Yuffie had never seen before… and Vincent… Vincent was near lifeless, seizures grabbing at him while he laid half-unconscious and helpless to any attack the Deep Ground Soldier would send his way. His skin melted away, shimmering to show the outlines of one of his inner demons, its leathery wings half solid, half illusionary.

_Chaos._

Yuffie's own thoughts spoke the things name, before it melted away and in a second, Vincent was back to himself.

"Ahh, so you cannot control the beast without this." The crimson haired soldier spoke, laughing as she found the whole concept amusing. Yuffie knew it was dangerous, she willed herself to move, to get Vincent out of there. All the hurt and pain she had felt over the kiss was forgotten, not even he deserved this. She was his comrade, his friend – so why would her legs not obey her command. Why was she scared?

"Well there will be no need for it when I'm done with you." Then she was too close, kneeling down next to Vincent and the adrenaline rush that Yuffie was experiencing, watching from her spot cloaked in shadows, her face and identity hidden behind a rusty cloak, finally kicked in. She gripped the conformer in her hand, activating the materia in its slot and rushing out, Rosso noticed the conformer that was thrown at her, and the aim was just perfect. Rosso had no choice but to jump back from Vincent's form or be diced in half. The activated materia cause a bright light to glow, where Yuffie would usually stay and fight her only concern now was getting to Vincent and lifting him up and getting him out of there. She hadn't realized how heavy he was until she was stuck, with very little time to grab her conformer and haul Vincent out of there.

She managed to do it, somehow, she had managed to get him out of there, and her conformer – there was no way she'd leave her weapon behind there like that – and then she pulled him into the back of the Shadowfox and shouted at her driver, having him get them the hell out of there before she could even fully close the back door. Not even a minute later she heard the angry shout of Rosso and sighed, for now she was safe – but Vincent… had a huge hole in his chest. Her back was soaked in his blood and she was unsure of how long it would be till he awoke next. Luckily, she managed to switch capes, before going over to use the remains of her first tattered and now stained cape to act as bandages. Before she could even touch him his hole healed itself right up.

Yuffie had almost forgotten that she was still hurt; her concerns now were on Vincent. She couldn't even begin to remember her own selfish reasons for avoiding him when he was fighting for her life. Even if she wanted to forget, even if she wanted to pretend it would be all okay, she just didn't know how. So she sat by his side, like last and watched as his stirred in his sleep and she held his hand again, praying to Leviathan that he would wake up and that he would be fine. She didn't know what else she could do.

"Lucrecia!"

_That_ woman's name escaped him again and she pulled her hand free of his and managed to get to the other side of the truck, sitting down and watching from under her hood. She hid the hurt well; thankful she had the cape to hide the unshed tears.

He stirred and awoke and Yuffie forced herself to return to herself. To act cheerful and pretend nothing was wrong. "Morning!" She chimed in, a smile hidden behind the shadows of the hood; after all she never really knew how good Vincent's eyesight _really_ was.

"Where..." He paused, in question before deciding to ditch the first one and move right on to the next, answering the question of his eyesight to some extent. "Who are you?" So he really couldn't see everything.

Yuffie smirked, hiding the amusement as she stood up, the note of constant happiness that she always had falling into its rightful place. Yuffie was ignoring the hurt of the past and focusing on the present. She couldn't let Vincent know she was upset – especially since the reason was completely childish. They always saw her as a child, and she didn't want her feelings to be thought of that way.

She stood up, the perfect speech already prepared as she took her steps. "Well, I'm glad you asked." She announced, turning her back to Vincent. "I am the champion of the earth and sky." She raised her hand and clenched it into a fist; her voice was steadily rising as the scene that was in her head played itself out in real life. Vincent no longer needed the speech; he knew exactly who it was though he allowed her to continue. "I am the conqueror of evil… the signal white rose of Wutai." Yuffie ripped the cape she had been wearing off, raising her foot onto the bench and turning her body to face Vincent with a smile. "Yuffie Kisaragi!" She finished the dramatic introduction to her old friend by standing up onto the bench.

"Feast your eyes on-" and on that note, she lost her secure footing and whatever else she had to say was lost to the sounds escaping as she tried to catch it again, instead she fell over, hitting her head in the process. "Oooowwww!" She whined, rubbing at the sore spot.

"So where are we?" Vincent asked, ignoring her childish whines.

Yuffie shot the gunslinger a glare as she stopped rubbing her head, "Come on! Aren't you at least a little concerned?" she asked defiantly.

"Oh Yuffie, it's been a while. How's your head?" Vincent asked, indulging the girl in her request with little emotion attached.

"You…!" She spat, deepening her glare before turning away. "Could you at least _pretend_ to be sympathetic?" she half-heartedly scolded the dark man, she knew what he was like but still, she had to insist on scolding him.

Vincent hid a smirk of amusement before he tried to sit up; Yuffie was on him immediately as she caught on to his actions. "Oh uhuh Hey! Take it easy!" the tone of worry was evident in her voice, before it switched scolding. "That was a big hole you had in your chest!"

Vincent stopped what he was doing to look over at Yuffie. "A hole… in my chest?" He asked, confused as to her meaning.

Yuffie didn't even think about her actions as she unconsciously clenched at a place in her own chest, "I seriously though you were a goner," admitting it was harder than she had realized "but then the wound healed itself right up." She explained. "You were always different but then I guess that's why you're still breathing." _And why I'm attracted to you of all people._ She kept the last part confined to her thoughts.

Vincent pushed himself up again. "Yuffie, what are you doing here?"

"Me?" Yuffie chimed, "I'm just helping out Reeve and his gang. I was poking around Nibelhiem and then found you looking all corpse-like in Shinra manor and so I saved you!" It was half true, though Vincent had been far from corpse-like when she had actually found him. Chaos-like was more accurate but she just couldn't tell him that. She rubbed her nose before moving on, as if thinking out loud. "Imagine that! Me saving the great-" and to add to this point she spun herself around, "Vincent Valentine! Do I get any thanks?" She laughed, joking and not ever really expecting anything of the sort from the cold and stoic Vincent Valentine. Knowing he was alive was all she needed.

"Hm…" Vincent sound that could almost be considered his form of laughing caused Yuffie to look. "Thanks, Yuffie."

She waved her hands frantically as she heard this, "No, no whoa! I didn't mean for you to take me so seriously. Uh, Anyway, Reeve wanted us to contact him as soon as you woke up." She explained. The fun exchanges between friends was forgotten as she contacted Reeve and got the update on Omega with Vincent next to her. It was then when the Shadowfox crashed and Yuffie was thrown across the truck, hitting her head again and this time slipping into unconsciousness. When she would wake next Vincent would be gone, but she'd find herself lying on the bench in the back of the Shadowfox.

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_**Thanks for the reviews!!**_


	3. the world is black

**Authors Note:** Before moving on with this chapter I would like to **dedicate** this chapter to _Ayumi Omoide_. Your reviews have seriously made my day – you have **no** idea. Especially after reading them at a time when I was down and stressed. You made me feel so much better. So I offer the invitation to ramble or "rant" as much as you like, because you are one awesome person! To answer your question: Yes, the Shadowfox did crash and knock Yuffie out, however the whole Vinnie setting her on the bench (well, implied Vinnie setting her on the bench) was entirely my doing. nods

I'm also thinking that inside of the chapters there will be a **new** "Featured Fic" of random Yuffentines that I've read and enjoyed, starting this chapter. If you all have any fics you've written/read feel free to point me towards them! Tell me if you all like this idea or not. I'll place it at the end of the chapter with a little description/review of what it's about and yeah. I thought it might be a nice way to shine some light on the awesome Yuffentines there are. '

Anyways, I think I've held you all up long enough; I've got a plot in the works for this story. Oh yes, this chapter takes place during DoC but it's a 'lost moment' of my own creation. I plan to move through DoC rather quickly, as the majority of this story will take place afterwards. Now, with that said…

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**Chapter Three: **_The World Is Black_

There was never a moment over seas or in the air when Yuffie felt top of her game. There were times when she could ignore her own discomforts for a short while, but she could never fully recover until she was where she belonged. That was on solid ground. Where there was no unexpected turbulence or monster wave that would threaten they're very life. She felt safe on land. In the air, even with strong and dedicated WRO soldiers with her, or Cid or Vincent she could never feel fully safe. She trusted Cid to fly the Shera the only way he could, with a certain expert air about him, but she didn't trust the far fall it would be to hit the ground. She didn't trust the floor to stay still and most importantly she couldn't trust her stomach to hold down the few contents she had managed to scoff down before it threatened to come back up. No… She couldn't count on the air.

So it was with great relief when the meeting on the Shera was let up and she managed to squeeze out the doors, rushing as fast as her feet could carry her to the railing of the Shera. She managed to make it just out of the door to decks when her stomach gave a dangerous lurch and up came lunch. The ice pack she had been given had worked as best it could, it helped to keep her head from pounding so much while she was on board, but the few pills she had swallowed in hopes of overcoming her airsickness had done very little. She was stuck to cursing fate as one hand supported her weight to keep from collapsing on to her knee's while she vomited.

What was it about puking that drained you of all strength anyways?

At least while she was up here, in the fresh air she felt a little bit better. The wind was refreshing, if not a little cold.

"Gawd!" She exclaimed getting a small grip on herself as her stomach had finished emptying its contents; she slid down the wall into a sitting position a little ways away from what had been her lunch. She closed her eyes while she just enjoyed the feeling of the wind and concentrated on not feeling like an invalid because she couldn't hold her stomach contents. It was true that no one treated her poorly because of her affinity for getting ill on any type of ship, but that didn't mean that she herself didn't feel just the tiniest bit useless. If Deep Ground had managed to get onboard and attack while she was tossing cookies, how was she supposed to fight them? Not to mention her weapon, the Conformer was an over-sized shuriken. It demanded room in order to make her a decent fighter. She could hold her own at hand to hand and close range and in some cases use the Conformer to her advantage, to ward of attacks in close range. However, she couldn't fight them the way she was best at if she was stuck only to close range. Two points were already against her in the closed confines of a ship. Being ill subtracted away from her attention and how alert she could be and her style of fighting was best suited for mid to long range. Not the type of close range that attacks to airships usually called for.

Just as she was running through these darker thoughts, the type she didn't want the others to know weighed down on her, none other but Vincent Valentine himself walked out. She tried to hide her weakness, by pasting a fake smile on her face as her stormy eyes met his crimson ones. They both held the gaze for a matter of seconds, saying nothing and everything all at once.

"Hey Vinnie!" She broke the eye contact first, looking out at the sky that seemed to go on forever.

"Yuffie." Came his simple greeting. Yuffie hid a small smirk, she knew he would never openly ignore anyone, but at the same time she was trapped. She hadn't had a whole lot of good quality catch up time with Vincent since she had moved out of his modest house. There was so much she wanted to say but the words couldn't come. Her pride got in the way; it stopped them before she could end up a babbling idiot confessing her feelings for the dark gunman.

The words that neither of them spoke filled the emptiness quickly to a point where Yuffie was sure he could read her every thought clearly in the air. As if answering this very thought he spoke again, asking a question she had been hoping to avoid.

"Why'd you leave? You never said…"

Yuffie's gaze shot to see his crimson eyes were still watching her intently before she looked out at the sky again. "Aw Vinnie, I didn't have you pinned for one caught up on unimportant things." She tried to dodge the question, though his cold silence that followed clearly stated that she wasn't going to run away so easily this time. She had moved out in the middle of the night, when he had been asleep so that she could avoid this conversation. Naturally, back then she had left a note. Something along the lines of:

_Had a sudden urge to travel to see Cait Sith.  
Don't wait up. _

_xoxo Yuffie Kisaragi_

It had been only when she had been half way to the Golden Saucer when she realized just how lame an excuse that had been. Vincent knew as well as Yuffie herself did that sometimes that robotic cat got on her nerves. So why would she willingly submit herself to that sort of torture?

Luckily for her, Vincent really wasn't one to push matters so she had managed to avoid the topic. Until now that is.

"I…" Her voice was serious, though after the brief pause she continued. There was no way she could tell the truth and so she hid it with her fake smile that could fool the ever-worried Tifa Lockhart. Surely it would work on Vincent. "You know me Vinnie! I just can't stay in one place for too long!"

"Yuffie, I know about the… kiss." For a moment, when Vincent had paused before saying that one word, she thought he was going to say something completely different. She didn't know that he knew. She had thought he had still been caught obliviously in the throws of his dreams.

"Aw, lighten up Vince!" Yuffie forced the cheerful note to her voice, though she knew it didn't sound convincing. Not when it took all she had to fight back the tears that wanted to come at the memory of the name he had muttered afterwards. Had that been on purpose?

_No. Vincent wouldn't do that._

"That was nothing." She stood up from her spot, "At any rate, we should be preparing for this big Deep Ground battle." She had begun to move towards the door to the deck, changing the topic and running away.

Though before she could escape, his human hand had her wrist in a light hold. "Yuffie…" she had heard the note in his voice, the one that told her that he didn't believe that it had been nothing to her.

"It was nothing." She repeated, the smile she wore wasn't believable. She knew that Vincent could not only see the trembling in her body, which happened when ever you tried too hard to suppress your emotions, but the tears that lined her stormy eyes. "It was an accident, Vince and I'm sorry." She whispered softly. The blame was entirely on her shoulders. It had been her who had put a meaning in the kiss that had never existed. It had been her who shouldn't have been present at his bedside that night.

His grip had loosened on her wrist and she pulled free, making her escape without another word spoken.

"Yuffie, it is I who is sorry."

He spoke to the emptiness that had taken her place on the deck of the Shera. Before he too left, moving to prepare for the battle.

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**Featured Fic:** _Could Do Without_ – By: bleueyz

A fic based off of common phrases. It's an amazing piece that keeps you wanting more. Seen through Yuffie's PoV. I don't want to say too much about it incase I give away something… so you'll just have to read it. :-P

**Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas To Everyone - And Happy New Year!**

**Thanks For the Reviews**


	4. silver and cold

**Authors Note:** Sorry, it's a shorter chapter and I made you all wait so long for it too. The wedding in Jamaica was awesome, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Shortly after returning from that I had lots of babysitting time with my nephew – whom was born on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas). I also moved out of living with my parents and found an excellent new job. So yes, I've been distracted quite a bit in real life. I promise though, I have not abandoned this story. Thanks for sticking with me everyone and without further ado… let's continue.

**Chapter Four:** _Silver and Cold_

It was so easy to act as if nothing had ever happened when Yuffie simply didn't allow herself to think of the past. She focused her thoughts on one thing and one thing alone. That was the mission. The final goal, step-by-step and how she could be of the most use to Vincent. Not to dwell on the past, on her mistake or the feeling of his lips on hers. Not to remember how happy she had been until her world came crashing down into a harsh reality at the slip of a tongue.

She refused to allow depressing memories to hold her captive as they had done so for Vincent all these years.

Just to avoid any confusion, she didn't give him much chance when it was just the two of them to remind her of her mistake. She did the talking and then she ran off with a friendly smile and wave. As soon as she was out of eyesight and ear shot, a sigh would escape and she'd take a few minutes to pull herself back together again. Only Vincent had the power to break her so wholly without ever once having to say a word.

When Vincent wasn't around, while he cleaned house and Yuffie worked on making her way towards the reactor everything was fine. Yuffie didn't have the distraction around that he had proved himself to be, without meaning too. It was almost too easy, to focus once again on the mission and forget why things were so very wrong in her own little world. The rest of the world too… but that problem was easily pinpointed. Yuffie's was simply passed off as a crush that wouldn't let up.

When they met up again, at the final stepping stones to the end of the mission the time for false cheeriness was pass. There was a serious note in Yuffie's voice, a strict mission-only persona played by both her and Vincent. His reasoning for only focusing on the mission was very different from her own… She simply wanted to forget that she was hurting still. He wanted to find forgiveness for the sins in his past. Neither of them made an attempt to speak of what had happened, or the talk on the bridge of the Sierra that they had.

Strictly business. That's all it was now.

It wasn't hard at all to find Weiss or Nero. Weiss was in a state in which he was hardly a threat. In fact, if Yuffie had a vote in the matter she would have said he was dead. He certainly looked it with his eyes open – not seeing nor blinking. There was an eerie stillness about him. Nero on the other hand was still very much alive and just as creepy as the last time she had seen him. With a slow drawl in his voice and words that made little sense to anyone but himself and Vincent. They both ignored her though when she asked for further clarification, going on as if she wasn't even there.

Before Yuffie could respond to Nero's attack she was enveloped by darkness and pulled in the dimension that Nero created and controlled. At least, she believed he created it but it could only be a speculation. Vincent was no longer by her side and panic was swelling up inside of her in the darkness. She felt utterly alone. Fear, depression, loneliness… they ate at her sanity. No matter how hard she tried in vain to remain sane. To stay as calm as she could. Her breathing was hitching in her throat and tears were welling in stormy grey eyes. And without any warning at all, everything intensified by ten times.

She needed a release of some sort in the darkness. She didn't know why, it was pointless really but it was due to the panic and fear and loneliness eating at her that caused her to bend over into the fetal position, screaming. She was screaming her pain to the darkness. Screaming to ease her irrational fear... Screaming because it was the only thing she could remember how to do.

Before she could fully curl into a ball, in a pathetic attempt to protect herself from the cold grip of the darkness there was a warm light on her back. Arms of protection, of safety wrapped themselves around her lithe frame, pulling her into the sanctuary of a warm chest. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that Vincent held her. Vincent Valentine had saved her from the darkness and it had been his light that had reached her. The realization was almost heartbreaking. He would save her from the darkness, but she could never save him. She didn't have that kind of power.

She felt drained of energy physically, mentally and emotionally as Vincent set her down. Though she assured him she'd be fine. Yuffie Kisaragi didn't break under pressure. She was a real trooper, a go-getter with endless supplies of energy. She only wishes she had emotions made of rock like Vincent, because then it wouldn't hurt so much to be as close as she was to him. Close enough to feel safe in his arms, to smell the scent of spring water that clung to his cape. The scent of his cape was both a blessing and a curse. She loved nature… but the scent was _her_ scent. Lucrecia's. From the cave that Vincent so often visited. It was the reminder in the scent that told her she never stood a chance with Vincent that broke her.

**Authors Note:** I wanted to make this chapter longer, but this just seemed like the right place to end it. The next chapter will be the last DoC-centric one, and then we go post-DoC and start delving further into the storyline I have worked out for this.

**Featured Fic:** _Shattered_ - by TionneDawnstar

A Yuffentine story, rated M for lemon in Chapter 26, language and violence. Terrorists are targeting Vincent, and the only person that can help him is Yuffie! Can she save him, and make it to Cloud and Tifa's wedding?

**Thanks for the Reviews.**


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